Kenya’s Supreme Court approves military presence on streets to contain protests

June 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Supreme Court of Kenya has ratified this Thursday the Government’s decision to deploy the Army to reinforce the tasks of the Police, in order to contain the strong protests that have been taking place in Kenya for a few days, with dozens of deaths already, at a rate of the controversial law on tax reform.

The court ruling, however, gives President William Ruto’s government two days to clarify the scope and duration of this emergency measure, as while the presence of the military may be justified, a widespread deployment represents “a dangerous trend that could militarise the country.”

In that sense, Judge Lawrence Mugambi maintains that this plan be published as soon as possible and is also accessible to citizens, allowing them the possibility of reporting if any of its points are not met, reports ‘The Standard’.

The city of Nairobi woke up this Thursday with a strong military deployment after weeks of protests against the Government that have spread to the entire country and have left more than a dozen dead.

The authorities, who are trying to minimise the damage, have thus urged the Armed Forces to take measures to avoid scenes such as those seen earlier this week, when protesters broke into the Parliament building and set it on fire.

The protesters, who have once again shown their opposition to Ruto, have gathered in the city centre to also honour those who died during the marches. Some of those present have advocated going to the president’s residence, but the idea has been aborted by the police.

Elsewhere in the country, such as Kilifi province, protesters have blocked a highway and set up a series of barricades, prompting local authorities to deploy the army in these areas to restore traffic.

The president confirmed on Wednesday that, in light of the unrest, he will not sign the controversial law and, “therefore, it will be withdrawn,” opening the door to a new “conversation” about future budget changes, a few words with which it seeks to reach out to both political parties and civil society.